Prevalence and associated factors of osteoporosis in female patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Osteoporosis (OP) is a common complication of inflammatory arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In this study we evaluated Osteoporosis and its related factors in RA patients. This cross - sectional study was carried out from 2010 to 2011 on 121 women with RA aged 45-75 years. These patients were selected and divided in two groups according to their bone mineral densitometry (BMD) status, osteoporotic and non osteoporotic. The data about OP and potential related factors were recorded. T-test for quantitative and X2 for qualitative variables were used for group comparison. The mean age of the patients was 55.7±10.1 and the duration of the disease was 10.1±9.2 years. Thirty nine (32.3%) of patients had T score≤-2.5 [28 (23.1%) in the lumbar spine and 20 (16.5%) in the femoral neck of regions]. The age and body mass index (BMI) were the most significant factors related to OP (p=0.00, p=0.01). Surgery induced menopause was conversely related to OP in neck of femur (p=0.04). OP in femur was related to overall fracture in patients (p=0.02) and also with seropositivity for RF (p=0.04) and body mass index (p=0.01). The prevalence of OP in our patients was higher than expected. Old age, menopause, low BMI and seropositivity were the main risk factors of osteoporosis.